Vodacom's Uys brings clarity

By Candice Jones, ITWeb online telecoms editor

Johannesburg, 14 Jul 2008

The appointment of Pieter Uys as Vodacom's new CEO will cool market uncertainty, say analysts.

Vodacom announced the appointment - which was predicted in a cover story in ITWeb sister publication Brainstorm's May 2008 edition - on Friday afternoon.

"What the market most needed was some clarity on who the successor would be," says Richard Hurst, IDC programme manager for communications and networking. As such, the appointment will be well received, he adds.

Hurst says the board has been battling with the succession of Alan Knott-Craig for some time. "Alan Knott-Craig was the driving force behind Vodacom for many years and it needed someone similar to drive the company's future. It is a massive ship to sail."

The board initially had two candidates in mind: Uys and Vodacom SA MD Shameel Joosub.

Uys is well versed in market dynamics and can embrace the current market, Hurst explains. "He is the right man for the job."

"It has been a privilege for me to be involved in Vodacom's growth from the early days of mobile telephony to becoming SA's largest mobile communications operator. Under Alan's leadership, the company has achieved formidable growth and his act will be hard to follow," says Uys.

He joined Vodacom in 1993 and is currently its chief operating officer. He will officially take the CEO helm on 1 October.

Fond farewell

Kaplan Equity Analysts MD Irnest Kaplan says Uys is "definitely up to the challenges that a company like Vodacom comes with".

Kaplan says Uys is well versed in the ins-and-outs of the business and will make for a good successor.

Vodacom Group chairman Oyama Mabandla says: "The board has conducted a thorough search, encompassing both internal and external candidates, as we were determined to find the right candidate for the job."

He adds that Uys was an "obvious choice" with the years of experience and track record at Vodacom.

Mabandla has also thanked outgoing CEO Knott-Craig for his contribution to Vodacom. "His legacy will be long remembered and he will be sorely missed."

Vodacom is 50% owned by Telkom, which is listed on the JSE, while UK group Vodafone holds the other half. However, Vodafone has offered R18.75 billion for a further 12.5% in Vodacom.